Fringe Friday – The Matchup edition

It is good to be be back! After a brief one week hiatus, we are back with another episode of Fringe Friday which we have entitled the Matchup edition. We take a look at pairings that either have caught our attention this week or will be catching our attention soon enough. Some of it may be difficult to stomach, some of it may even make you feel nauseous, while some… well some just might distract you enough not to care about the others.

The Distraction

Just in case you need help with the rest of the article let’s start off with the distraction first. The Miami Marlins may not be the best team in the National League, in fact they are right near the bottom, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try anything to win. Well, what I should say is that doesn’t stop their fans from trying anything to get the Marlins to win.

Unfortunately, all of her efforts were for naught as Christian Yelich did strike out and the Marlins did lose the game to the St. Louis Cardinals. But I do think most of us agree that this is a matchup we don’t mind keeping our eye on again and again. So if you haven’t yet, take a moment and watch the video and then answer the skill testing question. Please raise your hand if you were not distracted and realized that the Cardinal pitcher on the mound was actually former Toronto Blue Jay Brett Cecil? Right, sure you did.

Difficult to Stomach

Speaking of Toronto, I believe anyone that is a Maple Leafs fan is quite content with how this season unfolded as they have far surpassed expectations. But fans in Toronto have become leery of those positive feelings as well they should. Every time we start getting used to them, something happens that reminds us of how unhappy we are meant to be. Now I don’t believe many of us have any ill feelings towards Erik Karlsson and the Ottawa Senators for the playoff success they have achieved. Nor is there any ill will towards Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins for achieving that same level of success. But something doesn’t sit right here, does it? Could it possibly be that their is one particular matchup in this series we really don’t want to see? Well, Maple Leafs fans get ready because I am about to explain that uncomfortable feeling and why it feels like a wet pair of underpants just rode up your backside.

Remember those recent, torturous years of losing we have had in Leaf land? There was only one way for us to have fun those years and that was to blame someone. There were two specific scapegoats in particular that this fan base loved to target. The first was Dion Phaneuf and the second was Phil Kessel. The fans and media pretty much took pot shots at them on many opportunities. Well, karma still hasn’t forgiven us for that has she? Our punishment is that now we have to sit and watch as two of the most picked on hockey players (undeservedly mind you) that wore the blue and white have made it to the Conference Finals and one of them will advance even further.

Now we already had to witness Kessel get a ring last year and it was nice to see Leafs fans put on a brave face when he did. But can you imagine if the Senators somehow pull this off, and don’t get me wrong, they have just as much chance as any of the other teams, but if they win the Stanley Cup, that would mean that Phaneuf would have a ring too. Actually… forget about what I said about that wet underpants feeling, if both have a ring it will feel more like a kick in the groin.

Feeling Nauseous

Speaking of getting hit in the groin (bad segway I know) in this very same Eastern Conference series we have yet another interesting matchup to keep our eyes on. Sidney Crosby has recently both given and received the hockey stick in the nether region (that was the segway) but that is not all that Sid the Kid has been known for recently. Late in the season if you recall, the “GOON” Crosby slashed Marc Methot. Unfortunately a slash like that happens in the NHL quite often, far more often actually than people would like. But it was the result of this slash that made it far from ordinary.

After the play ended, Methot removed his glove and calmly skated to the bench as half of his pinky finger was being held on by a piece of skin. The video is disturbing to say the least but also mesmerizing by how unfazed Methot looked. I knew hockey players were tough, but man, that’s like Chuck Norris tough! The Senator players did not play for a few weeks due to a “laceration” but he is back in the lineup and this will certainly be a matchup to keep an eye on.